11.11.11

my week has been a bit emotional...

monday morning hubs woke up early to head to the airport.
he was on his way to visit a now new forever friend and her daughter, heather and allyssa.

i think because i am so proud to be his wife that i must have cried everyday this week.
for reals.

a little background...
heather is the widow of one of jake's buds from afghanistan, andrew hutchins, also simply known as "hutch".
allyssa is the precious baby girl hutch was never able to meet.

jake was there from monday to wednesday.
tuesday was the one-year anniversary of hutch's death.
{only three days before veteran's day}
he wanted to be there for so many reasons.
to finally meet heather and allyssa.
to meet hutch's parents.
heather's parents.
to visit hutch's grave.
some reasons i may never know and even more so will never understand.

there is a significant age difference between jake and hutch.
jake thought of him as a little brother.
and now...heather is a little sister.
and allyssa a niece.
to us both.

thank you, heather.
veteran's day has been dear to me for the last ten years of being an army wife, but it now takes on a whole new meaning.
my husband lost a brother in afghanistan.
my heart hurts for him.
you lost your husband, your best friend.
my heart hurts for you.
for allyssa.
she lost her daddy.

i will NEVER take for granted my freedom.
because of my husband and because of hutch.
because of all the brave men and women who served before them.
and who are serving now.

{these are a few few amazing pictures from jake's trip}

is she not the cutest?!?!


this is my favorite.
he loves her so much.






allyssa giving her daddy some lovin'.









one final picture...
this is sunset on fort campbell.
just before the lowering of the colors.


r.i.p. cpl andrew l. hutchins
04.30.90-11.08.10

you will never be forgotten.